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Reviews for Jocassee Kayak by Perception

I recently purchased this kayak based on others review and after having taken a number of day trips(longest being 17 miles)I can say its a great 2 person beginners kayak. The rudder is a must but it tracks nice, does ok for speed (gps 3.5 easy 4.0 pushing and 5.3 wide open)Super stable and forgiving. Without skirt you tend to put lots of water into kayak (open cockpit design) but that's what sponges are for.

I bought two from a friend a year ago for family fun. I've shopped others lately and can't find anything even close to the gear capacity of this Kayak. Recently took a 22 mile trip on the Peace River, FL. We usually canoe so I'm guessing the handling complaints in previous posts are from Kayak veterans. This is my first and it blows canoe's away. Going solo in the Jo, it held about 90% of the gear the canoe would with two people. In a race against the two canoe paddlers, no contest. I've also made time against 2ft breakers into 15mph winds & a modest tide fully loaded. Not good time and it was work but time nonetheless. Could have used a rudder on that one but otherwise, again, better than a canoe.

I couldn't be more impressed and I've been searching for replacements that are newer, more versatile. There's no need, this kayak is the shizit. I plan on rigging them for a rudder and sail and keeping them for ever.

Whoever says that paddling this will wipe you out after an hour would have trouble putting the same effort into any kayak for an hour. I am able to go much faster than a canoe for the effort. Although not as sleek or fast as more expensive touring tandems, it is far better for a family! The wide and long cockpit allows for a couple and a child (or two if they are small).

I spent a week in the Jocassee doing a 60 mile stretch of the Allagash Wilderness waterway. Loaded onto the boat along with me were flotation bags, a 70lb dog and 120lbs of food and gear. The other 8 people in our party had single kayaks such as Carolina, Sea Lion and Vizcaya. As a truck, the Jocasee performed very well. The rudder is a must.

I bought my Mighty Joe at a swap meet for 500.00, bought the rudder kit, installed it, and it was ready to go. Stable even with a landlubber wife, a dog and a 3 year-old on board, and I can paddle it quickly without their help. Sure, it is heavy, but that guarantees you a workout whenever you put it in the water. Besides, us couch potatoes need an excuse to break a sweat. I wish it was a little longer, but beyond that I am very happy with it. The only complaint I have is that it has been discontinued in favor of the Aurora, which is basically the same boat, with some minor alterations. This boat is fine on the coast, it can handle waves up to 5 feet, but expect to use your bailer. A self-bailer would help this rig, and it is available from Harmony if one needs it. This is a Cruiser, not a racer, so don't buy it for surfing or river navigating. If you have family and want to take them with you or just go solo, this is the Kayak for you!

My first boat and the first time I ever even sat in a kayak. The Jocassee is a good beginner kayak. We got the rudder but I find it just as easy to stear without using it. This boat is stable and easy to get in and out of. The Jocassee's only fault is it's weight. The kayak can be reconfigured to be paddled solo but at over 80 lbs. It is difficult to get ontop of the SUV without help. Even with two people working on it it is rather unweildy. Park as close as you can to the put-in.

I recently rented a Jocassee for a weekend camping trip and I now plan to buy one within the next couple of weeks. Granted, I could run circles around this boat in my Eclipse, but for what it is designed for it is an all round excellent boat! Stable? We had no trouble with that even given my three year old basically playing around in her kiddy seat and occasionally standing up. Fast? It beats the heck out of any canoe I have ever paddled. Rudder? Definitely! The main thing that mystifies me is some of the other reviews which talked about being "dog tired" after an hour. My wife and I paddled this boat 4 hours out and four hours back, full of gear, and with a child. It was certainly no worse than a canoe as far as exertion, and it was definitely much faster. Maybe the "dog tired" people were expecting something like a Nimbus Telkwa. Or maybe they just need to work out a little bit! A great boat for two people, a little kid and their gear!

If you are looking for a sporty canoe, then this is it. It really is a sea pig. Two adults will be drop dead tired after an hour or so of this sluggish tank. It reminds me of paddling around in an aluminum row boat, only that would be faster. It is very stable!

I have had my Jo for 4 days. As you can see I rate it a 7. Why would you buy a yak you are only rating a 7 ?? First, I wanted a sleek sea kayak, and I wanted to go solo, for days at a time. HOWEVER, my 6 and 8 year old had other ideas. So maybe one day !! But for now I have a Jocassee, even have trouble pronoucing it sometime. But it has good storage for a boat with no hatches. The stability is just great, and I mean that. You must be careful when you ask someone that paddles a ya about stability, most of them have a weird idea of the word STABILITY. Some of them think a log is stable. The Jo holds a good line ( I do have a rudder, the Jo does need one) I can let my son paddle (he is just learning) and have no problem keeping the boat headed where I want to go. It is big, and it is heavy. But those, alone with the hull shape, are what make it so stable. Loading is more of a problem than unloading. I drive a full size van so the height ads to the problem. But by using a Paddle Boy cart I get it done. Loaded with three of us the ya handles well, paddles surprising fast, and is very quit. It really works best with just two if us and gear. To paddle solo you extend the rudder pegs out, slide the front seat back, load up, and take off. This yak does solo very good for a tantem boat. Very good first boat.

Great family boat,and a pleasure to paddle solo. The storage and stability of the Jocassee is fantastic. Fishing from the Jo is also a breeze. Heavy, but still much easier than a canoe to paddle. Handles small surf very well.

I've owned mine for six years and it's not the only boat in the garage. Yes, it's big, it's heavy, but it's so versatile. As my first boat, I quickly developed a paddleing rhythm which allows me to get a five mile run out of a two hour window which includes travel time,loading and unloading at each end. I can cover 4 miles alone in an hour and often solo a ten mile when I can arrange a pickup at the other end. The Jo will carry it all and makes a great boat to spend the setting sun hours on a calm lake with the wife. My dauthers learned to paddle in it. Each having solo boats will take the Jo along when they have company.

I bought my Jocassee last spring (99). I've used it in the intercostal waters (east) and rivers. It my first kayak and I and my grandson love it. I'm an amature wild life photographer and its amazing how much closer this boat gets me to my subjects. No its not for white water but it wasn't attended for that purpose! Highly recommend it.

After using the Jo for more extensive Florida flats fishing, I've developed a much deeper appreciation for it. This boat is quiet and is easy to paddle for extended trips (5-6 miles), contrary to a previous post. I also have no problem handling this big yak, even in moderate winds. I do recommend adding a rudder when paddling tandem with another paddler. With the rudder, you can set up a very controlled drift with a wind or current without touching the paddle for - HOURS!! Another benefit is that perspns who are less flexible can get in & out of it easily.

I have enjoyed my Jocassee very much. It gave my entire family an opportunity to kayak together at a good cost for the boat. This is the highest volume plastic double/triple person yak built. It is enormously stable for a kayak and still glides well on the water. Even paddling double, one paddler can easliy propel the yak. This kayak will win no races against glass, but can probaly carry the glass kayak and it's paddler, and a second paddler, too. It does wat it is desiged to do excellently. Despite being as large as it is, the Joccassee is still faster than a canoe and sit on tops by far. Rob R.

Strictly a family recreation tandem kayak(also has small adjustable/sliding child seat in middle). Heavy, weighs about 85#, 7 ft+ cockpit/32 in.wide. Doesn't handle very well in the wind as you might expect-definitely needs a rudder. I used it a lot to fly fishing Florida canals and intercoastal esturaries.

Initial stability is great/seats are very comfortable. Good for a small family (3)of beginners. Two adults are worn out after about an hour or two of touring in this baby. My rating is based more on the fact that I'm looking more towards touring and less recreational kayaking. This is more like the "Tank" of recreational tandem kayaking.

I borrowed one a year or two ago to paddle with my wife. I usually paddle much sleeker sea kayaks, so I tended to agree with the guy in the local kayak shop who refers to the Jocasse as a "Sea-Pig". It's slow and bulky.

Great for what it is designed to do. Boat is stable, fast, tracks well, lots of storage, plenty of room for two. Great for lakes or ocean - stay off the rivers. You'll break your paddles trying to turn it in even class ll rapids.

Good boat for beginners, intermediates or those who like one boat for solo or tandem. Also seats small child on adjustable seat for mon,dad and little one travel. Adult seats have adjustable foot braces. Large cockpit allows for loading of camping equipment and ease of entry/exit. Spray cove is two piece and adjustable. This boat is heavy, weighing in at 79 pounds. It's wide at 32 inches so it's stable for beginners. Overall a good boat if your just starting kayaking or need one boat to do it all. Paddle it with a long (240cm or longer) paddle for best results. It also has an optional rudder kit.

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